Dec 08 - tears, tantrums, giggles and piddles - and that's just the mums!

[traceface]

Or maybe piddling whilst giggling is just me?
It's so sunny here I feel Spring has sprung - where's that daffodil emoticon gone? Had a friend round this morning for a natter and cake - muchos snot and tears but all good. Think I might go for a little bike ride now to blow the cobwebs away.
And no vag - not a chance!
rubs don't you dare spend all your time tweeting - your first loyalty is here!

Hurrah for this glorious sunshine but beans you are a dafty doing the ironing!

kiwi - you've done a great job to keep up the bf for this long, especially as it sounds like it's meant so much to dd. I stopped with S at about 18 weeks pg (I think) as my nips were just getting too painful, and at that stage it was just at bedtime as well. I never bothered with an A-N thread, everyone here is so lovely and full of useful advice that there didn't seem any point venturing outside our basket :) plus we all know each other's 'back stories' and it's very cosy here. Though of course newcomers are always welcome! I think we're a lovely gang and very lucky, magic baby M's mum said there can be a bit of tension with her lot but I never feel that with 'us'. Group hug!

sybs, hope you had a lovely party time and hurrah for the diet success.

Hope everyone who's away has a lovely Easter, we're seeing my dad on Sat and it will be the first time he'll have had all four grandchildren in the same place at once :)

are birkenstocks not allowed? I just bought a pair in TK Maxx as well, they're a bit primary school teacher but make my calves looks maller - god knows how, they just do which is a miracle so I love them already...

urbs sorry but glad you're feeling iffy, IYSWIM. hope you get a scan date fixed soon and meanwhile sending lots of hang on baby vibes!

in other baby news, a girl I was good pals with at school has just had twins at 34 weeks, they look v healthy! this is a great thing since she was v badly anorexic at school, hospitalised for quite a while and it still shows in her face, she's somehow got a more gaunt look even though she's back to a healthy weight.

arti, going back a way, thank goodness about the pipes! Am v impressed with your DH doing all the sanding, but what a sense of satisfaction. And cripes, that's quite a discount on the house!

our second viewing went well at the place here, DH said "I don't actually like the house but I very much like what we could make of it" which is v unusual for him, he likes things to be just so from the outset. Also, we had a brief chat with one of the neighbours who is a lovely lady with two small girls, so that's a good thing too! Though we're keeping our options open and have asked the agents to let us know if anyone else puts in an offer - it's a bit further out than we'd ideally like, so we're still looking around. god bless our buyers for hanging on!

we've had a few developments with S's talking - slight sadly, she can now correctly pronounce Caterpillar (as in V hungry) - it used to be that there was the Blapla and the Blaplo (gruffalo) but now she can say it properly. Though she's got a bit of a blind spot with Ocpotis which is a good replacement! :)
definitely feeling more positive here, mainly thanks to one big thing (or indeed one little one) - E has found her thumb and has remembred how to sleep in the daytime! Maybe it's a 3-month switch, but I can take her out for a walk in the buggy, she falls asleep, and unlike S who would go "ping! awake!" on crossing the threshold, she will sleep for ages. So we just got back from the shops, she'd nodded off on the way, I came inside and she was a little bit disturbed, grabbed thumb, slurp slurp and she's off again, happily asleep again! She can also be put down more easily, with S there was the ridiculous "hold sleeping baby, count to 20,000, put sleeping baby down, baby wakes up" cycle but with E I can feed her, wind her, have her very sleepy and put her in the cot and she finds her thumb and off we go. Sod the future orthodontist bills

jj are you worried about DD1's speech? Sorry I can't remember, was it something to do with her pronuncitation? DS still says things wrong, radiator is "radio-go-go" and yesterday I noticed lollipop was jollypop. Sometimes he even does a whole sentence of complete and utter nonsense words as well!
On caterpillar front that reminds me the other day I was saying "whose birthday is it today?", he didn't know so I said "Kat", expecting him to finish it Katarina, and instead he went "CATERPILLAR! Caterpillar birthday!". So sweet. he loves the very hungry caterpillar too, yesterday I could hear him reciting the things that the caterpillar eats on Saturday, I could hear, "one piece...cherry...pie, one slice...cheese, one piece...chocolate...cake, SHRIEK, YEAHAH, WELL DONE EDDIE" coming from his cot.
Ace news on DD2s sleeping.

summer - not worried at all, just sad that one of her toddlerisms has gone. She also finally says nappy instead of bappy, but we still call it that. And I have to remember not to call milk Mook when out in public!

E still calls yogurt gog-gog. Nursery taught him it was yogurt, but we refused to get it for him til he called it gog-gog and so he's reverted!

Ooh, I'm too excited to read about Birkenstocks - the soles on mine split and I'd only had them 12 years, and I really want a new pair. Off to TK Maxx I go on payday next week. Beans my fitflops did that to my toe and I just stuck a plaster on and carried on wearing them, never had any trouble since

Urbs it all sounds good that you're not considered urgent, and that you need hotpot

Jump my DD rarely pronouces things correctly, but we understand her, even if no one else does. I wonder if I should correct her? She was quite a late talker though. F's are a problem for her in particular - frogs and flowers are shrogs and shrowers

Right, going to check out summer and beans rude conversation on fb ...

Evening ladies. Aaahhh DS1 is on holidays for 2 weeks and DH is off now fit the bank holiday and our holiday beyond that starting Tuesday. Nice. The weather is still gorgeous it really feels like summer here. It says its 23degrees right now and its 8.30! I hope its even hotter in Sardinia.

Urbs sorry you've had to have your scan put back but nausea and an appetite for good old stodge has to be a good sign.

Beans, don't apologise lovely, I was mainly enquiring that your ok. But you are and clearly harboring a desire to be a lady of the manor, owning huge tracts of land. How's your dad and his letting it all hang out lifestyle going then?

ZJ, ZoeJahooli is the obvious choice but what about ZebraJocks.

Oh I think my battery is going to die so better send.

Hee hee! I'd love to be lady of the manor. Would be fab to be minted!!!

DH out tonight and I've eaten my body weight in mince. Oink oink.

Now ready to go to bed. Dd1 was reading The Three Little Pigs to me earlier, as she does, little show off. She always does the huff and puff bit and tonight, we got to the bit where the wolf tells the little pig that he got knocked down by something on his way back from the fair. DD1 piped up and said "Ha ha! It was me in my chutter burn!" instead of butter churn. I got terrible giggles. Little bear. So proud of her!

Won't be posting this weekend and will put my hands up and admit that I'm crap at catch-ups!! But speak next week. Have a brilliant holiday all of you. Veg, similar weather over here. Baking and heavenly!

X

Heeeeeyyyyyy, I'm back and just about to read through to do a big catch up. It could take some time. For a bit of idle gossip, those on Twitter can do a quick search on the superinjunction to find out precisely why spending £50k on these things is a waste of money...Although I must say I knew the identity of one of poor sods a week ago. Anyway, have missed you all!

Got back from Mum's last night and spent today working on the House That Will Never Be Finished. We were supposed to be moving on the Royal Wedding Bank Holiday weekend but that looks off now, but won't be long after that. Yawn...

In no particular order....

Spot, I think you should go to Ibiza for that wedding if you can. You badly, badly need a break.

Beans, I am glad to hear your Dad sounds chipper! I too love Asda for kids' clothes, there isn't one near me but there's one v near Mum's and she gets a lot of stuff for the girls from there. Yay for DD2 crawling but I am also kind of sad as she is the first of our 2010 babes to be mobile. I want them all to stay tiny because I want my DD2 to stay little forever...House looks super, deffo worth a roll with the offer.

Trace, talking of houses, sorry about the Leeds lady but I am sure yours will go soon. I think the staggered return to work, with all the bank hols and stuff, sounds good - you can ease yourself in. I hope you Northern ladies are also swathed in sunshine. (The weather at Mum's in the Midlands was nicer than it is in Oxfordshire, actually).

Where are you going camping, DB? Do you go to a site? I am glad to hear you've got a bit of your zing back.

Talking of Zings - ZJ, I am devoid of inspiration for your new name. I can barely think of anything that begins with Z: er...Zither, Zoo, or if we are talking names, there's...King Zog and, um, Zenouska....Hey, that's so good your DD wasn't too bad with the pox. I dread it.

Dear Urbane, when is your new scan going to be? Sorry you are feeling rough, but sort of good as well (if you know what I mean). The Revenue still haven't coughed up, thanks for asking. The original cheque was cancelled about a fortnight ago and then a week ago my accountant was told they were going to try to rush it through, but no further word I am putting my head in the sand until at least Tuesday. But it's rather a downer. Anyway, how lovely to have a surprise weekend in Paree! VV good.

And yes, Vag, shopping in Paris - well, I suppose I always stick to a cruise round the department store, Printemps (because I am lazy and I like dept stores with everything nice under one roof) and also, (and I ALWAYS say this), if you like poncey candles, Diptyque are streets ahead of any others you can buy and they are possibly the one thing cheaper in Paris (ok, France) than anywhere else. Anyway, so envious of your forthcoming trip to Sardinia.

JJ, the house lark all sounds good. You can keep that one in mind for a while. Have you any others coming up to view? And how lovely that you are feeling more on top of things with the two nippers. at Bappy. We also have new names for things than DD1 started. Thinking about it, most of them are for things like farts and bogies (nice) - twists and yacks, respectively!

Kiwi, sorry you have been feeling a bit low. It sounds like there's a lot on, with the clackeredness, the job woes and the stopping bf...I think you need to factor in some treats. I always say that. But little treats are so restorative. Oh, my birthday lunch was in a gastropub near Lichfield (which is nr my Mum's) and it was lovely and we all had pink Taittinger. Joining a second postnatal group - I halfheartedly joined one but only posted about twice. I like everybody here very much and I like the comfy atmosphere and some of the other people on the new thread I joined seemed a bit stroppy and I just couldn't be bothered. But try it, maybe?

SL, that is good you are feeling more pro your MIL. But mainly from the point of view of 'MIL annoyance' taking up unwelcome space in your emotional sitting room Shares etc - I am no expert but if you have a bit of spare cash, in the medium to long term you often get a better return than you would if it was mouldering in the bank, espesh at the moment with interest rates so darn low. I think an ISA such as you describe is probably a good start.

Sybs, super well done on the weightloss. I have stalled again over the last couple of weeks. I looked at the Dukan but being a veggie, it would be nothing but cottage cheese which I do like, but...Hope the visits from all the fam go smoothly. In theory I would like to run but my joints have started feeling a bit creaky. I will stick with the walking. How are things with DH now, dear girl?

Jam - talking about running, your DH did a blinder with the marathon, in my view.

I think Rubes is fine, she was at a family party/bbq today I know. I have missed people but I have to end here as DP has gone off to bed and if he goes to sleep and starts snoring before I get in, trying to sleep will be futile I could actually write pages though. Wishing you all a lovely extended weekend.

Very drunk spent the night with my lovely 07 girls from ds1. Will catch up tom. Let's hope I make it home and not end up in Norwich.

Hope everyone is enjoying the sunny long weekend :). Easter egg hunt for us this pm. DS2 being a bit of a trial, now fiercely independent. He escaped from our childminder's yesterday . Let himself out of the back door, through the garden and was dashing out of the back gate before she caught him. I suspect that by next week there will be big bolts and CCTV everywhere.

Oh and DH has acquired one of those little bikes you bolt on the end of an adult bike for DS1, he's trying it out today :)

Zoe: the only Z names I can think of are Zaphod and Zuleika - not much help!

Another long drive for me today, and I seem to have put my glasses somewhere so will have to drive in my prescription sunnies. They are a bit outdated so hope the style police aren't out in force. Or the real police.

Have a good Friday everyone.

PS Jam, how is the head?

Oh, and Kiwi, I was going to say, yes, don't join a new AN thread, stay here, like I did etc etc, but then of course this IS my AN thread. I was on a March 2007 but that fizzled quite early doors and if I hadn't got on a new one then I wouldn't know you all. Could you be in 2 camps? Provided you post here first with all the news first of course!

Hello, am also rubbish at catching up and have skimmed thru but only remember a few things.

Beans, how is your Dad? I like the last house so far. Not so keen on the one with the dark beams. Always worth a low offer if you like it - nothing to lose. We are trying to buy the house we are living in which I will be v excited about if it works out since dh has drawn up so much stuff we could do to it etc. to make money off, but with what he has suggested I'm sure I won't want to sell it!

Vag your weather reports on FB make me giggle! Hope you are having fun with your family visiting and have a wonderful time in Sardinia [buenvy]

SL we are a bit TV mad in this house [bublush] We did have a problem once with one of ours but it was really ds pushing buttons on it when he was small before it was put up. We now have a 50 inch on the wall (above fireplace) and a 32 inch on wall in dining room and the same in bedroom on a chest of drawers but it's quite high up. So much easier on the wall. When / if we buy this place I can assure you we will have one in the kitchen too but right now it's too small in there.

Spot, sorry to hear about your probs at home. You said you are processing some stuff - is that good or bad? I miss understood dh and didn't realise the bike race is at 7pm so thinking it won't work coming down, however I still do want to visit, and you're also welcome at mine anytime if you need to get away you know.

Kiwi I would say re joining another thread - depends what you want. Ours is very online-y only but it is hard for meet ups with Northerners obviously! But some of them (ie sounds like Jams 07 ladies) are more RL social which I wish ours was more like. That said it doesn't strike me that you would have time for another thread? You need a MN twitter circle like Turnips!

Pingu if you're lurking I have messaged you on FB

Sybs, yes I think I will join you - but I want to actually start the running first. DH isn't so keen on it as it's so bad for joints which is what he fixes - but handy I suppose if I do get into it [bugrin]

Lady, hope you're not working too hard on that house with all the lovely weather about! or at least getting out for a pub lunch now and then? We really must get together. Had a nice break yesterday / and evening at mil's as her and Gmil tend to take over which is fine by me as I can put my feet up and be lazy for a day.

ds is well and really chatty these days but dd still a bit ill but on the mend. She got really bad with conjunctivitis, and a cold - runny nappies every hour and the most awful barking seal style cough mainly through the night. I think she had croup. My friend had visited and then the next day her dd came down with tonsilitis but apparently incubation period too quick to be related. DH had a look down her throat but all fine there so just the horrendous cough all though that's improving. Nearly took her to the GP several times but then she gets really well in the daytime so didn't, and she was getting better in the night too and last night almost back to normal thank GOD as I have had NO SLEEP (even less than normal I should say)

Anyway, dh out on a bike ride today so going to get some housework done a bit of gardening, and then go out for stuff for quiet BBQ tonight. We have ordered dd a helmet [bugrin] and ds a new bike seat for the back of dh's bike for times we don't want to take the trailer. Was suppose to arrive today but now Tues - bummer.

Afternoon ladies. DH and DS1 are out picking up and dropping off the inlaws and DS2 is having a nap, I should really be doing some tidying and packing but, I'm not, I'm here with you drinking coffee.

Rubes I'm glad I made you giggle. Can you believe NL was the hottest place in Europe, it has been baking here. I repeat my offer, one week in Sunny Den Haag, the world famous Scheveningen beach on your doorstep, tulips galore, Pubes your DH could be riding through tulip fields in just 25kms! He is right about the running being bad thing. But what are his thoughts on treadmills, off road and beach. I'm enjoying beach & off road at the.moment but wander if its just as bad due to the uneven surface and rough terrain.

I've been thinking about joining the c25k but I'm unsure, I can easily run 5km, I'm just not very fast, can you join if you want to improve your speed?

Lady I have no idea what your talking about with the £50k, but sounded intriguing. I love department stores too, there is one here called De Beijkof, I love it, pricey but really lovely to shop in. unfortunately the food sectiom isn't great though, I.love the deli, supermarkety section of nice big department sto the most.

Sorry had to post as my phone was having a seizure.

Pubes hope DD feels better soon, and Hooray for chatty DS. DS2 is cracking us up with his talking he comes out with the cutest, funniest things. He also has a little stutter, he sounds like the old guy from the vicar of dibley, he'll start a sentence with "eye eye eye eye eye eye eye eye want a drink" and constantly saying "no no no no no no...' or "yes yes yes yes yes yes..."

Gosh I'd better go DH just called and they are on their way home, we are going to the beach this afternoon so should really at least get the bathroom cleaned.

You are all right, I have no time for another thread anyway and even if I have a remarkably chilled out baby (haha) and have more time on mat leave, I couldn't find a nicer bunch than you lot

Staying at the in-laws which is lovely as DD is happy to just potter around their (huge) garden, play with them and generally be a lot more independent than she is at home. Actually, maybe it's just the stopping BF but she seems a bit less clingy to me. When she's just woken up (morning or after nap) she does still ask for mummy milk but is fairly easily distracted by normal milk or just playing etc. I've barely looked after her at all today, being pampered by my lovely in-laws and lounging in their garden (between lurking on MN and Rightmove.co.uk of course;)

Beans When you buy your mansion house and become lady of the manor, can I live in your gatehouse (which will have six bedrooms, I'm sure )

We've had some cheekily low offers on our house, but nothing major yet (only been about 2 weeks though). But I wish someone would buy it so i can MAKE A MESS again!! Endless tidying is driving me nuts.

As for work.. hideous so I am trying not to even think about it this weekend. I shall buy a lottery ticket instead, so I can buy an enormous estate in Bedfordshire and Beans can live in my servant's quarters

In Wales with pil. But will catch up when I get to a propercomputer.

It's 27 bloody degrees! There IS a God! I'm weeding the lawn in my fit flops. Think this makes me offically middle aged....? Shoot me if I ever talk about getting one of those gardening "kneeler" pads.
Oh dear God, Satan himself has woken.... off to bribe him to stop the 'after nap tantrum' with a duck feeding session at the pub, and a drink for me to keep my youth & to pick up dh. Back later

Hope everyone is having a lovely Easter weekend [busmile].

Could do to catch up properly but Rubes I was at the garden centre this morning and had a kneeling pad in my hand...I did put it back I swear [bugrin]

Right defo wine o'clock here the DC's have been VERY trying today and I have been a complete as a result!

Evening all (Vag kicks her kneeling pad out of view) .

WG I hope you are relaxing and ignoring (whilst carefully noting down) all mental comments made by MIL.

Kiwi, the short let we were in had 6 viewings in the week or so before we were due to move out of it, one was sprung on me because the agent got the days wrong. Was a nightmare trying to keep it clean. I had to make sure it was tidy before we went out incase they organised a viewing at short notice.

Have had a nice day with BIL and future SIL. I'm not a fan of Amsterdam but it was great weather and we had a lovely canal boat ride and a yummy lunch. Finally saw the ladies in the windows, and was very nearly passively stoned, with all the coffee shops with their doors open.

We are meeting them again tomorrow and taking them to the big Tulip gardens which is in the middle of the tulip fields in an area about 30km from here. I'm quite excited as I'm actually going to ride up there while they all drive. I've been wanting to do this for a couple of weeks now as its peak tulip season and the Tulip fields will look gorgeous.

DB you make a lovely looking dragon.

Oh and Pubic how was the duck feeding beer?

Vag at kicking away kneeling pad. And Deids, don't worry I've had one in my trolley more than once and only put it back as I thought mil prob has several spare I even worried about Summer holidays and who would water the plants!!! I am my mother
Vag, very nearly got the whole fam stoned as well. Our duck feeding session at the pub was far from picture postcard when the family from hell turned up and docked their narrowboat for a beer and a fancy cigarette Had to actually move dd to a table away from the river (when one finally freed up) as I'm sure her lungs couldn't cope!Then a giant swan nearly ate ds and a sudden down poor of rain sent us packing! i shouldn't have called ds satan though - he was an angel when he woke up with the duck feeding deal! I've seen the ladies in the windows too - when I was about 18 and I was so fascinated by them! Glad you are having a nice time with the fam.
Also, thanks again btw very kind offer for your flat, but unfortuately dh has to give 6 weeks notice of leave and he's back to regualar work Monday Noon - bugger. But asked about his running views, and I quote "it's all about the impact, (obviously! -sorry that was me!) so sand is good (if it's soft sand) is a harder workout and will improve your proprioseption, treadmills pretty much just as bad as running on the road, uneven surfaces fine, but obviously the worry of being more likely to twist an ankle etc...."

Crossed vag - see above!! @ pubic!